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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-26-2007 07:25 AM

lannig

Very interesting tread on a very important question !
Anyway, to add a line of thought :
I remember reading a few years ago about a frenchie who rigg a scuba tank to a pvc pipe to throw some molotoff cocktails at incoming pirates !!
I am pretty sure that our american friends with their unparrallel knack with weapons will find us something in this line of thought
After all most cruising yacht have scuba tanks on board and they are not yet designed as weapons
So something using scuba tanks compressed air to throw a lethal projectile ??
Up to your drawing board

I know we opted not to carry that Taurus, thinking a normal revolver loaded with "snake shot" would be a lot better than the Judge. It is almost as much of a flop as the Patriot pistol, which was a handgun made to fire the .223 or 5.56mm NATO round. It looked cool with lots of flame coming out every which way but would malfunction after 1 or maybe 2 rounds. I wouldn't plan on reloading, since rimless cartridges and revolver type extractors have never gotten along well. At least with a revolver you will get all 5 rounds going downrange. Since those countries that ban firearms are Draconian about ammunition as well this one you are going to be left with an expensive flare gun.

Cool, I'd forgotten about ISG's (Improvised Spud Guns)! Attach a little laser pointer and at 50 yards it looks enought like a RPG launcher that most unarmed pirates would probably opt to reciprocate bearings!

To get back to boats - if I had a flare gun adapter that I had to use in self defence it might unfortunately fall overboard afterwards. No loss, I'd have something to add to the forum thread of offerings to Poseidon.

I just assumed this was a given in the original post. It's the same sort of logic that would find me buying a pistol or a shotgun in a port in which they were legal, to carry while transiting a known pirate area. The idea is that it gets chucked well before you get to the ostensibly safe destination port. All things being equal, if you fire BACK (and down into a smaller fishing boat/outboard filled with hard men), they are more likely to pick an easier target, pirates not being known for their Protestant work ethics. Hell, I'd chuck grenades if I thought it would keep them off the boat. What I was considering is a non-lethal and at least marginally legal means of self-defence I could permanently keep aboard as a deterrent. I suppose the combination of calling a Mayday, firing shell flares at 'em, attempting to ram them and maybe a nail gun barrage would dissuade them.

Another assumption would be that if I killed or injured a pirate out of sight of land, I'd be kicking his body over the side for either his buddies or the sharks to deal with. It's not the sort of episode I would care to mention to the authorities in the sort of countries that have a pirate element anyway. Captain's prerogative.

02-25-2007 06:44 AM

Zanshin

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellosailor

don't forget that in England now there is a movement afoot to make pointed knives illegal...

I know, I'm in the UK now and dealing with some LE officers. Their personal worries have always been aimed at edged weapons vs. projectile and their ballistic vests don't offer much protection for bullets but are designed to stop knives.
The worries that are fuelling public sentiment here are not pocketknife folders (i.e. BenchMade/CRKT and the like) but what are termed "Stanley knives" - basically carpet cutter disposable blades bought at home improvement stores or the like. Some recent very public programmes have offered immunity for those disposing of knives and target youths. The legislation that has been passed does not prohibit carrying knives (although some have interpreted it as such, for which the police are happy) but does limit the blade length to 3" for folders. And, while legal, the police will detain and question anyone carrying a knife. I carry a clip-on pocketknife, and an officer told me that if I were stopped at night in the street and found carrying I would probably be taken into custody and questioned. My answer of "But officer, I've been carrying a pocketknife for 20 years" would be sufficient but they are counting on the nuisance value to deter people.
Although the bar scene in the UK is full of raucous and obnoxiously aggressive drunks, particularly around closing time, the level of violence outside of that is pretty low. One acquaintance in London who works in drug enforcement was telling me of a raid they did on a mid-level drug dealer. The only additional weaponry they had (i.e. no firearms) was a large mallet to beat down the door. In the U.S. you'd have a stick of armoured officers in full chem gear armed with full-auto subguns for the same scenario. Very different cultures!

To get back to boats - if I had a flare gun adapter that I had to use in self defence it might unfortunately fall overboard afterwards. No loss, I'd have something to add to the forum thread of offerings to Poseidon.

02-25-2007 03:05 AM

sailaway21

I find myself in the rare position of agreeing with two posters, with conflicting opinions, at the same time. Probably never happen again.

I do think it folly to lock up individuals with small amounts of drugs, and I do favor legalization and regulation as a means of "ending" the problem. But I also acknowledge the current illegality. If I am caught speeding, I pay the ticket regardless of the fact that the road I am travelling was designed for 80 mph speeds for cars built 50 years ago. I also resent the implication that no harm is done by the possession of personal use amounts of drugs. I possess personal use amounts of tooth-paste and an entire industry is supported by like minded people such as myself. If the penalties for 80 mph in a 70 mph zone reach incarceration I will, no doubt, modify my behavior and probably fire my legislator. The law may well be an ass, but it is the law.

02-25-2007 01:30 AM

Goodnewsboy

Don't take a knife to a gunfight. It's still good advice.

02-25-2007 12:15 AM

hellosailor

Zanshin, don't forget that in England now there is a movement afoot to make pointed knives illegal. That's right, ordinary kitchen knives are being used in hackings and stabbings and since there's really no need for a pointed knife in the home, there's a nicely organized movement in England to get these devastating and unnecessary weapons banned. No more production, and pehaps blunting the ones that are allowed to be kept.

I refuse to comment on the sanity of the group members, but suggest that the million Hutus and Tutsis who were hacked to death mainly with machetes (production cost, ten cents each, sale cost, $1 each) are proof that edged weapons still are in business.

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